How to Pick the Best Produce

While many vegetables and fruits are grown year-round in temperate areas, they still have a preferred buying period during which the produce is generally more flavorful and less expensive. In this buying guide, seasonal ranges (in parentheses) allow for climate variations and peak harvest times.

Fruits

Apples (all year, but best in autumn): Firm, crisp, full color with no bruises, soft spots, or shriveled skins.Apricots (June and July): Golden yellow to orange-yellow, plump, and firm enough to yield only slightly to pressure. Avoid soft, shriveled, or dull-looking fruit. Ripen in a paper bag at room temperature.Bananas (all year): Solid yellow or lightly flecked with brown. If soft and with spotted or brown skin, mash and use for baking. Ripen hard green fruit in a paper bag at room temperature.Blueberries (June through August): Plump, firm with dusky blue color.Cantaloupes (all year, but best in summer): Pleasant perfumelike aroma; heavy for their size; no stem at end. Rind should yield to gentle pressure. Ripen at room temperature; they're ripe when skin beneath webbing has turned from green to beige.Cherries (June and July): Plump with bright color — red, purplish-black, or golden with a pink blush (depending upon variety); fresh stems (not discolored or dry).Coconuts (all year, but best in late autumn): Heavy for their size, with lots of juice that sloshes when fruit is shaken. Avoid moldy or wet "eyes."Cranberries (October through December): Plump, shiny, firm with bright to dark red color.Figs (summer to early autumn): Smooth and yielding to gentle pressure, but not soft. Harvested ripe, thus very perishable. Color correlates with variety.Grapefruit (all year, but best in winter): Firm and heavy for their size, with no discoloration at stem end.Grapes (all year, but best from late summer to late autumn): Plump, colorful, from deep purple to pale green; smooth, firmly attached to fresh-looking stems. Avoid shriveled or discolored fruit.Honeydew melons (late summer to early autumn): Firm, creamy white, smooth surface; slightly soft at blossom end; heavy for their size. Ripen at room temperature; they're ripe when they smell perfumed.Kiwifruit (all year): Slightly firm, fuzzy, yielding to gentle pressure. Ripen at room temperature; they're ripe when they smell fruity.Kumquats (winter): Small, bright orange, with shiny green leaves. Avoid blemished or shriveled fruit.Lemons (all year): Firm, shiny, heavy for their size. Avoid shriveled or hard fruit.Limes (all year): Firm, shiny, heavy for their size. Avoid shriveled or hard fruit.Mangoes (all year, but best in spring and summer): Yellow-orange to reddish skin that may be slightly mottled, yielding slightly to gentle pressure. Avoid bruised or shriveled fruit. Ripen at room temperature.Nectarines (summer): Plump, rich-colored yellowish to reddish skin, with slight softening on stem end. Avoid shriveled, rock-hard, or bruised fruit. Ripen in a paper bag at room temperature.Oranges (all year, but best in winter and early spring): Firm and heavy for their size. Avoid spongy or dry-looking fruit.Papayas (all year, but best in spring and summer): Greenish-yellow to yellow and smooth; yield to gentle pressure. Avoid shriveled or bruised fruit. Ripen in a paper bag at room temperature.Peaches (May through September): Yellow or creamy color with red blush (depending on variety), slightly fuzzy; fairly firm, but yield to gentle pressure. Avoid shriveled or bruised fruit. Ripen in a paper bag at room temperature.Pears (all year, but best in late summer to early winter): Color depends on variety; no discoloration at stem end; firm, but yield to gentle pressure. Avoid bruised or overly soft fruit. Ripen in a paper bag at room temperature.Pineapples (all year): Firm fruits, heavy for their size, with fresh-looking leaves; plump and glossy eyes; fragrant aroma. The color will depend on variety, but usually dark green indicates that fruit is not fully ripe (once picked, they will not ripen further). They're ripe when you can pull out a leaf with a gentle tug.Plantains (all year): Always eaten cooked. Green to near-yellow fruit is starchy and usually boiled. Very ripe plantains have dark brown to black skin and are good for sautéing and baking.Plums (summer): Bright color, green to red to purple (depending upon variety); plump, slightly firm, but yield to gentle pressure. Avoid shriveled or overly soft fruit. Ripen at room temperature.Pomegranates (September through December): Fresh-looking fruit that is heavy for its size. Avoid shriveled fruit, any with broken peel, or fruit with soft spots.Raspberries and blackberries (summer and early autumn): Plump; dry, rich color, from red to black. Select carefully and avoid moldy or mashed fruit.Rhubarb (April and May): Firm, crisp, fairly thick stalks that range in color from pale pink to deep red. Avoid soft stalks. Leaves are poisonous.Strawberries (all year, but best in early spring through summer): Firm with bright color and fresh-looking leaves and stems. Select carefully, and avoid moldy or mashed fruit.Tangerines (late autumn to early spring): Bright orange color; heavy for their size. Avoid bruised or overly soft fruit.Watermelon (May through September): Smooth skin; rich red or yellow flesh, with no brown or black seeds; heavy for its size.